Forced Marriage Not Conducive To Healthy Society: Orissa HC Allows Woman To Live Away From Her Parents & Husband, Grants Police Protection

The Orissa High Court has allowed a girl, who was forced into a marriage by her parents against her will, to live independently away from her husband as well as parents. The Court went a step ahead in directing the police to ensure the safety and security of the girl.Taking a cue from this case, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Murahari Sri Raman asked the State to conduct sensitization programs for educating parents to refrain from imposing their decisions on major...

Punjab & Haryana High Court Dismisses Civil Judge Aspirant's Plea Seeking Re-Evaluation Of Her Answer Sheet

While dismissing a review application filed by a Civil Judge (Junior Division) aspirant seeking re-evaluation of her answer sheet, the Punjab & Haryana High Court has reiterated that the power of review is extremely limited and cannot be invoked as a substitute for an appeal or for re-arguing a matter on merits.Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel said, "it is indubitable that the power of review is not intended to re-litigate a cause that has been thoroughly argued and decided....

Maharashtra Govt Agrees To Grant 2-Day Emergency Parole To Abu Salem, Says Escort Mandatory As He Is 'International Criminal'

The Maharashtra Government informed the Bombay High Court on Tuesday (January 13) that it has agreed to grant 2 days emergency parole to gangster and convict in 1993 Mumbai Blasts Case Abu Salem to meet his family.The State government however said that it has asked Salem to pay the escort charges adding that he cannot be released without an escort party since he is an "international criminal."A division bench of Justice Ajay Gadkari and Justice Shyam Chandak is seized with a plea filed by Salem...

The Synthetic Victim: Why India's POCSO Law Must Interpret 'Child' as Appearance, Not Ontology

The Statutory Framework and the Problem of Synthetic MinorsIn 2012, the parliament came up with gender-neutral legislation under the title 'The Protection of Children from sexual offences act' to take care of children against sexual offences. The act refers to the child as any individual under the age of eighteen years. Later in the year 2019, the law sought to revise it and introduced a new provision, and a new section 2(1)(da), which deals with child pornography, was added. This amendment...

'Need To Support Widows, Families Of Fallen Soldiers': Bombay High Court Directs ED To Donate 50% Of Interest On ₹46.5 Crore Deposit

In an unusual order, the Bombay High Court recently while noting the 'pressing' need to provide for the widows and children of the Army men, who lost their lives for the country, ordered the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to pay the 50 per cent of the interests accrued on the Rs 46.5 crores, to be paid to the Armed Forces Battle Casualties Welfare Fund (AFBCWF).A division bench of Justice Ajay Gadkari and Justice Ranjitsinha Bhonsale passed the order while dismissing appeals filed by the ED, which...

MLA Uma Thomas Stadium Fall: Kerala High Court Stays 'Attempt To Culpable Homicide' Case Against Third Accused

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (January 13) granted an interim stay of further proceedings against the 3rd accused in the crime relating to attempt to commit culpable homicide of Thrikkakkara MLA Uma Thomas.Justice C.S. Dias today admitted the plea and issued notice to the parties. The bench granted a stay of one month.The crime relates to an incident that happened in 2024, when MLA Uma Thomas fell down from a stage and injured herself, when she was attending a programme in Jawaharlal Nehru...

'Remains Only On Paper': Karnataka High Court Directs State To Relook Implementation Of Bangalore Mysore Expressway Project

The Karnataka High Court has directed the State government to re-look implementation of Bangalore Mysore Expressway and Infrastructure Corridor project and directed it to take appropriate steps in this regard observing that the project aimed at decongesting the city has remained only on papers.A division bench of Justice D K Singh and Justice Venkatesh Naik T referred to a Supreme Court's decision in Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Area Planning Authority & Anr. Vs. Nandi...

Tirupati Laddu Row: AP High Court Denies Bail To Govt Officer Accused Of Seeking Bribe For Awarding Ghee Tender

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has denied bail to a public servant booked in Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) adulterated ghee case, for allegedly demanding commission from ghee suppliers, influencing tender processes and amassing disproportionate assets through suspected hawala routes.The FIR was lodged over allegations on use of adulterated ghee for the preparation of laddus offered...

Registered Title Of Property Prevails Over Claims Of Oral Family Settlement: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that a registered conveyance deed confers decisive title, and vague or unsubstantiated claims of an oral family settlement cannot be used to defeat such ownership.A Division Bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar thus dismissed the appeals preferred by a man claiming joint ownership over a residential property on the basis of an alleged family arrangement, and upheld the decree in favour of his brother who held a registered conveyance deed...

Compassionate Appointment Barred Where Co-Dependent Is Already Employed: Chhattisgarh High Court

A Division Bench of the Chhattisgarh High Court comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Arvind Kumar Verma held that the compassionate appointment is governed by the policy in force on the date of the employee's death and cannot be granted where a dependent is already employed.Background Facts The deceased employee worked as a Subordinate Engineer with South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL). He died in December 2018 while in service. After his death, his son applied for...

Section 29A(6) and the Perils of Mechanical Substitution: Reading Mohan Lal Fatehpuria Correctly

The decision of the Supreme Court in Mohan Lal Fatehpuria v. Bharat Textiles has led to considerable discussion on the interpretation of Section 29A(6) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The concern that appears to have emerged is whether the judgment should be read to mean that the moment the statutory timeline for making an arbitral award expires, substitution of the...

Anathema to Life and Liberty: The Supreme Court's Bail Reasoning in Gulfisha Fatima

The new year did not turn out to be upbeat for Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, as the Apex Court, in a judgment spanning 142 pages in the case of GULFISHA FATIMA VS STATE (GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI) 2026 INSC 2, refused bail to the two persons arrayed as accused and their freedom was denied for the umpteenth time. On the contrary, the Court granted bail to the other 5 co-accused, citing the non-seriousness of their role. The constitutional spirit finds a speck of much place in the judgment since...